What's up in Connecticut Electricity?

CT Lawmaker goes off half-cocked, Eversource unfairly victimized

Here at CTEnergyRatings, we've always supported efforts to keep monopolies in check. We also hold retailers accountable for their performance. But sometimes an energy consumer jumps the gun and throws blame around without getting all the facts first.

In this case, a Connecticut state senator got an energy bill that didn't have the right per kwh rate on it, and he went ballistic:

“The moment they knew this was affecting thousands of ratepayers, they should have come down very hard, they should have issued a cease and desist order and this should have been cut off in thirty days.” - Sen. Len Suzio (R-Meriden)

The good senator then went on to demand firings:

“I think there should be heads that roll at PURA for allowing this because they knew about it since 2016.”

Unfortunately for Senator Suzio, it turns out this was not a case of major malfeasance or skulduggery, just a mistake by his retail provider (Spark Energy, apparently), as an Eversource spokesperson explained with less inflammatory language:

Unfortunately, Senator Suzio doesn't understand how our bills are created and is perpetuating misinformation. The information provided on customers' bills about alternative suppliers' rates comes directly from those suppliers. In the senator's case, the third-party supplier he signed up with was responsible for putting the inaccurate rate information into the automatic system.

We totally understand how frustrating it is to not get what you expect. If you've been in the same spot as this senator tell us your story!